Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant named ‘Moon Pie’

ABSTRACT

A new plant variety of  Hibiscus rosa - sinensis  named ‘Moon Pie’, characterized by a large ruffled multi-colored flower with a red center, a creamy-white halo followed by yellow edges. It is a free-flowering plant with an upright, compact habit. The foliage is glossy and dark green.

Botanical classification: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.

Varietal denomination: The new plant has the varietal denomination ‘MoonPie’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Hibiscusrosa-sinensis L., which was developed in a controlled breeding programin Webster, Tex.

The genus Hibiscus comprises about 250 species of herbs, shrubs andtrees in warm temperate and tropical regions; with leaves usuallysimple, mostly palmately veined, lobed or parted; flowers mostlysolitary in the leaf axils but sometimes in racemes, corymbs orpanicles. Hibiscus is included in the family Malvaceae, which comprisesabout 95 genera of herbs, shrubs and trees originating in tropical andtemperate regions. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a glabrate shrub, seldomover 8 feet tall in cultivation, but treelike to 15 feet or more intropical regions. Leaves to 6-inches long, ovate, usually serrate,mostly glossy green. Flowers solitary in upper leaf axils.

The new Hibiscus is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe inventor in Webster, Tex. The objective of the program was to createnew Hibiscus selections with improved bloom quality, color andfloriferousness, plants that can be commercially produced on their ownroot systems, and improved plant habit with regard to vigor andpostproduction longevity.

The new Hibiscus originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor using ‘Spring Break’ (not patented) as the female parent and‘Wheel of Fortune’ (not patented) as the male parent. The new Hibiscuswas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled breeding programin Webster, Tex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety was discovered in a controlled breeding program ofHibiscus rosa-sinensis and differs from its parents and other knowncultivars of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis by the following characteristics incombination:

1. Upright, compact symmetrical plant habit that is suitable forcontainer production;

2. Healthy green foliage;

3. Vigorous growth habit;

4. Large ruffled multicolored flower with a red center, a creamy-whitehalo, followed by yellow edges.

5. Free-flowering.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by stem cuttings, performed inWebster, Tex. and Fulshear, Tex. have confirmed that the distinctivecharacteristics of the new variety are stable and transmitted tosucceeding generations, and the new variety reproduces true to type.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS AND OTHER CULTIVARS

‘Moon Pie’ is distinguished from its female parent ‘Spring Break’ (notpatented) by its flower color; ‘Spring Break’ has an ivory bloom with adark red eye. ‘Moon Pie’ is distinguished from its male parent ‘Wheel ofFortune’ (not patented) by its flower color and flower color pattern;‘Wheel of Fortune’ displays rings of blue and pink tones. Also, ‘Wheelof Fortune’ has a very flat flower with very little tufting, while ‘MoonPie’ has much more character with fancy tufting.

Plants of ‘Moon Pie’ can be compared to plants of the cultivar ‘HighVoltage’ (not patented). However, in side-by-side comparisons conductedin Webster, Tex., plants of the ‘Moon Pie’ differ from plants of thecultivar ‘High Voltage’ in the following characteristics:

1. Flowers of ‘Moon Pie’ display a different color pattern than flowersof ‘High Voltage’;

2. Plants of ‘Moon Pie’ are easier to propagate via vegetative cuttingsthan plants of the cultivar ‘High Voltage’;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The accompanying illustrations show a specimen of the new cultivar in aphotographic illustration as true to color as is reasonably possible tomake in an illustration of this character.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘MoonPie’;

FIG. 2 illustrates the scale of a typical flower of ‘Moon Pie’;

FIG. 3 illustrates the typical young to mature foliage of ‘Moon Pie’,the abaxial and adaxial surfaces are shown at each stage; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a dissected flower of ‘Moon Pie’, including shape andsize of petals and characteristics of the reproductive structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

‘Moon Pie’ has not been observed under all possible environmental,cultural and light conditions. The following observations anddescription are of plants grown in Fulshear, Tex., in January 2003,under polypropylene shadecloth providing a 30 percent light reduction,and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production.Plants described were approximately one year old and in a #3 nurserycontainer. In this description, color references are to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (2000) and terminology used in thecolor descriptions herein refers to plate numbers in this color chart.Phenotypic expression may vary with light intensity, cultural andenvironmental conditions.

CLASSIFICATION

Botanical: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., ‘Moon Pie’.

Parentage.—Female or Seed Parent: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Spring Break’(not patented). Male or Pollen Parent: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Wheel ofFortune’ (not patented).

Propagation: By stem cuttings.

Time to initiate rooting: Approximately 14 to 21 days at 21-24° C.

Time to develop roots: Approximately 42 to 56 days at 21-24° C.

Root description: Fine to medium; fibrous; freely branching.

PLANT

Size:

Height.—Approximately 51 cm from soil level to top of flowers.

Diameter spread.—Approximately 60 cm.

Form and growth habit: Perennial, evergreen shrub; mostly upright andsomewhat spreading.

Branching: Freely branching; approximately 4 to 8 lateral branchesdevelop after pinching.

Lateral branches.—Approximately 20 cm long and 5 mm in diameter.

Internode length.—Approximately 4 cm.

Leaf:

Shape.—Ovate.

Apex.—Rounded.

Base.—Cordate.

Leaf size.—Approximately 9 cm long and 9.5 cm wide.

Arrangement.—Alternate, single; symmetrical.

Margin.—Undulate with crenulate margins.

Aspect.—Undulate.

Texture/substance.—Glabrous, shiny.

Coloration.—Young foliage: Upper side: Near Yellow-Green Group 146A.Under side: Near Yellow-Green Group 146C. Mature foliage: Upper side:Near Green Group 147A. Under side: Near Green Group 147B.

Petioles.—Size: Approximately 5 cm long, 3 mm across. Coloration: NearYellow-Green Group 147A. Texture: Smooth.

Hardiness.—USDA Zone 10 (30° F. to 40° F.).

Pests/diseases.—Resistance to known Hibiscus diseases had not beenobserved on plants grown under conditions approximating commercialpractices.

Infloresence:

Bloom period.—Typically year-round under subtropical and tropicalconditions.

Flower arrangement.—Arranged singly at terminal leaf axils;free-flowering with 3 to 4 flower buds and/or open flowers per terminalapex; flowers face upright and slightly outward.

Flower appearance.—Ruffled tri-colored with a red “eye” or throat, whitehalo and soft yellow edges; flowers are open for about two days beforeclosing; flowers persistent.

Flower diameter.—Approximately 16 cm.

Buds (just prior to showing color).—Rate of Opening: Approximately 1 or2 days, depending on temperature. Shape: Elliptic. Length: Approximately3 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1.4 cm. Color: Near Yellow-Green Group146B.

Fragrance.—None noted.

Petals.—Number/Arrangement: Corolla consists of 5 overlapping petals.Shape: Spatulate with rounded apex. Size: Approximately 8 cm long and 9cm wide. Margin: Entire, but ruffled. Texture: Smooth.

Color.—Upper Surface: The “eye” or throat is near Red Group 46A andtransitions outward to near White Group 155D. The yellow edges startnear Yellow Group 10B and darken outward to near Yellow Group 13A. LowerSurface: The majority is near Yellow Group 12B to 12D, eventually fadingto near White Group 155B at the base of the petal.

Sepals.—Number/Arrangement: 5 sepals fused into a star-shaped calyx.Shape: Linear with acuminate apices. Margin: Entire. Color: NearYellow-Green Group 146A.

Peduncles.—Length: Approximately 4 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2 mm.Angle: Upright to about 45 degrees. Strength: Strong, flexible. Color:Near Yellow-Green Group 146B.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Androecium:

Stamens.—Numerous; approximately 50. Stamen Length: Approximately 5 mm.Filament Color: Near White Group 155B.

Anther length.—Approximately 1 mm.

Pollen amount.—Abundant.

Pollen color.—Yellow Group 5B.

Gynoecium:

Pistil number.—1.

Pistil length.—Approximately 6 cm.

Stigma appearance.—5, rounded.

Stigma diameter.—Approximately 2 mm.

Stigma color.—Near Orange-Red Group 34A.

Style color.—Lower half near Red Group 46A; upper half near White Group155B.

Seed production.—Seed production has not been observed.

I claim:
 1. A new variety of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant as shown anddescribed.